Britains Gaur bull

This model was number 1321 in the Britains Wild Life line. It was Issued in 1979 and withdrawn in 1998. One of the last animal figures introduced in this famous range.

Modelled by Ron Cameron the Gaur was made in PVC plastic. I think you will agree that Mr Cameron did an excellent job sculpting this model. The stance and muscle definition are both superb.

Marked on the belly area "BRITAINS LTD ENGLAND © 1979.


Britains Gaur bull 1 by Chris*4, on Flickr


Britains Gaur bull 2 by Chris*4, on Flickr


Britains Gaur bull 3 by Chris*4, on Flickr

Here is a shot comparing the earlier Britains Herald Water Buffalo and the Britains Zoo Keeper leading animals:


Britains Gaur bull 4 by Chris*4, on Flickr

Chris

He is beautiful! The detailing on the muscles and everything. Thanks for the pictures!

It is fabulous

Thankyou for the wonderful pictures, - also the comparisons

animalluvr6 wrote:

He is beautiful! The detailing on the muscles and everything. Thanks for the pictures!

SUSANNE wrote:

It is fabulous

Thankyou for the wonderful pictures, - also the comparisons

You are both welcome. Thank you Kelsey and Susanne for your kind comments.

Chris

I love the BRITAINS red brown gaur, it is indeed a beautiful sculpture .

Too bad it has the BRITAINS curse, a very bad... And wrong painting .

Thank you for the good pics

Oh beautieful!! I like him very much!! Congratlations

Gorgeous!! Seeing your pictures makes me want him, wonderful photos Chris

Kikimalou wrote:

I love the BRITAINS red brown gaur, it is indeed a beautiful sculpture .

Too bad it has the BRITAINS curse, a very bad... And wrong painting .

Thank you for the good pics

widukind wrote:

Oh beautieful!! I like him very much!! Congratlations

HKHollinstone wrote:

Gorgeous!! Seeing your pictures makes me want him, wonderful photos Chris

Thanks everyone. Harriet I hope you find one soon.

Just gorgeous! Thank you Chris! Wonderful post!

Kikimalou wrote:

Too bad it has the BRITAINS curse, a very bad... And wrong painting .

dare I ask?... Curse?

Thanks Chris, that's another interesting topic with knowledgeable information and beautiful pictures!
Mr. Ron made a fantastic work with the sculpting, I have it and I love it! If Britains paintings were as nice as sculptings it would be hard to beat the British brand. This gaur is a great example. It would be interesting to find why they decided to give these colours to this creature. But, with such sculpture who cares?

scot(t) wrote:

Just gorgeous! Thank you Chris! Wonderful post!

Kikimalou wrote:

Too bad it has the BRITAINS curse, a very bad... And wrong painting .

dare I ask?... Curse?

Hi Scott

I think Christophe was referring to the colour Britains selected and the fact that the lower part of the legs should be painted white. Here is some information on the real Gaur which includes a few photos of this species:

http://carnivoraforum.com/topic/9328548/1/

Roger wrote:

Thanks Chris, that's another interesting topic with knowledgeable information and beautiful pictures!
Mr. Ron made a fantastic work with the sculpting, I have it and I love it! If Britains paintings were as nice as sculptings it would be hard to beat the British brand. This gaur is a great example. It would be interesting to find why they decided to give these colours to this creature. But, with such sculpture who cares?

Thank you Roger. The background information comes from Britains catalogues and this book:

http://www.replastic.com/book.php

The book gives details on who modelled each figure where it is known. Very useful information and a must have book for anyone interested in Britains/Herald plastic figures and indeed plastic figures in general.

Chris Sweetman wrote:

scot(t) wrote:

Just gorgeous! Thank you Chris! Wonderful post!

Kikimalou wrote:

Too bad it has the BRITAINS curse, a very bad... And wrong painting .

dare I ask?... Curse?

Hi Scott

I think Christophe was referring to the colour Britains selected and the fact that the lower part of the legs should be painted white. Here is some information on the real Gaur which includes a few photos of this species:

http://carnivoraforum.com/topic/9328548/1/

What I exactly mean is : IMHO BRITAINS shared the "gold medal of sculpting" with HAUSSER ELASTOLIN in the 1960's and 1970's, maybe even better than ELASTOLIN.

What I deplore is the cheap painting on those models, not gold and not even a medal If the sculpting was so so... I would understand " Hey we are solding cheap models with cheap paints "
But no... I know BRITAINS did this to save on cost and sell more but it hurts me each time " Hey look at the wonderful models we made for you And now a few scribbling to ruin it " It turns me crazy

I have the same feeling with the elephants, great sculpting with even not glued ears. I remember an African elephant, the walking one with ears which always pop out from the head

My story with BRITAINS sailed always between a love affair and a nervous breakdown !

Christophe I guess you are not entirely happy with Britains!

I do sympathise but with my personal historical connection to this brand I don't see these faults.

Chris Sweetman wrote:

Christophe I guess you are not entirely happy with Britains!

I do sympathise but with my personal historical connection to this brand I don't see these faults.

Chris, I'm not entirely happy with BRITAINS but I have a lot of them in my shelves It is a great company which made great models
BRITAINS animals make me nervous because they are like wonderful top models with awful clothes or a BIG cataclysmic button on the nose

But I understand your special love for BRITAINS and collecting is first a love affair

I have to say STARLUX is also a great brand with many many flaws and great qualities... I can see the defaults... I could be nervous too but, as you, it is a love story which began in the sixties

One of the reasons for Britains' choice of a Gaur was the massive bull "Conan" kept at the Regent's Park Zoo in London.

Many a zoo-visitor ogled Conan and trotted off to the souvenir-shop to buy a model!



Lesley.

Castlerigg.

castlerigg wrote:

One of the reasons for Britains' choice of a Gaur was the massive bull "Conan" kept at the Regent's Park Zoo in London.

Many a zoo-visitor ogled Conan and trotted off to the souvenir-shop to buy a model!



Lesley.

Castlerigg.

Many thanks Lesley for this information. It certainly makes sense to me now why this animal species was selected.

Kikimalou wrote:

Chris Sweetman wrote:

Christophe I guess you are not entirely happy with Britains!

I do sympathise but with my personal historical connection to this brand I don't see these faults.

Chris, I'm not entirely happy with BRITAINS but I have a lot of them in my shelves It is a great company which made great models
BRITAINS animals make me nervous because they are like wonderful top models with awful clothes or a BIG cataclysmic button on the nose

But I understand your special love for BRITAINS and collecting is first a love affair

I have to say STARLUX is also a great brand with many many flaws and great qualities... I can see the defaults... I could be nervous too but, as you, it is a love story which began in the sixties

Nicely said Christophe.

Of course we will always remember our first love.

The first animal figures I remember were the Herald farm animals from the late 1950's. This was when I was 3 years old. The Britains Zoo animals came later when I was about 8 years old in the mid 1960's.

I do have some Starlux figures but these are soldiers. One day I hope to get a few Starlux animals.

What a fantastic piece! Congratulations for having such a gem in your collection.

Roger wrote:

If Britains paintings were as nice as sculptings it would be hard to beat the British brand. This gaur is a great example. It would be interesting to find why they decided to give these colours to this creature. But, with such sculpture who cares?

i agree!

Mastiffcat wrote:

What a fantastic piece! Congratulations for having such a gem in your collection.

Roger wrote:

If Britains paintings were as nice as sculptings it would be hard to beat the British brand. This gaur is a great example. It would be interesting to find why they decided to give these colours to this creature. But, with such sculpture who cares?

i agree!

Thank you Carolynn.

And of course we musn't forget that these Britains models were toys and available just for pennies!

Lovely, these toys bring back memories

I understand you "elderly" guys, because i am one of them to!
But still, those models from the 1960's and 1970's are my greatest love in my collection!
Even more then fantastic Lineols(which come next) and all of the beautifull stuff that is produced these days!
You Chris, Christophe and me grew up with these models, and i only knew about Britains, Timpo Toys and Hausser Elastolin, not even Starlux or Reisler.
They all have something that no other model can give me, how beautifull they maybe are...

WILLYBACOMAN wrote:

I understand you "elderly" guys, because i am one of them to!
But still, those models from the 1960's and 1970's are my greatest love in my collection!
Even more then fantastic Lineols(which come next) and all of the beautifull stuff that is produced these days!
You Chris, Christophe and me grew up with these models, and i only knew about Britains, Timpo Toys and Hausser Elastolin, not even Starlux or Reisler.
They all have something that no other model can give me, how beautifull they maybe are...

Apples we eaten at 20 years old will always have a better taste

Exactly!